Berklee Presents Free Summer Jazz Concerts on Spectacle Island

By

Liz Lupton

June 11, 2013

Albino Mbie performs on Spectacle Island at 1:00 p.m. on September 1.

Grant Richards performs on Spectacle Island at 1:00 p.m. on August 18.

From June to September, up-and-coming Berklee musicians will perform free concerts at Berklee Jazz on Spectacle Island, a part of Berklee Summer in the City, presented by Natixis Global Asset Management. The Boston Harbor Alliance and the Boston Harbor National Park host the performances every other Sunday at 1:00 p.m., from June 23 through September 1, weather permitting. For more information on Berklee concerts in neighborhoods throughout Boston this summer, visit berklee.edu/events/summer.

Berklee Jazz on Spectacle Island is accessible by ferry from Boston’s Long Wharf North, next to Christopher Columbus Park (MBTA Blue Line to Aquarium Station, Green or Orange Lines to Haymarket Station). On performance dates, ferries depart Long Wharf North on the half hour between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Ferry tickets can be purchased at the Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, across from the Long Wharf Marriott. For a full schedule and additional information, visit bostonharborislands.org.

Hailing from Israel, saxophonist Daniel Rotem has performed across the globe from Canada to South Africa. The hard bop musician who borrows unusual harmonies from his Israeli roots was awarded a full scholarship to Berklee in 2009. Among his many distinctions, Rotem was chosen as a finalist in the live auditions for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance Masters Program in 2012.

Bassist, guitarist, composer, arranger, and producer Balam Garcia dedicates his performances to raising the collective consciousness along with vocalist Selina Elsie, who uses all forms of art to promote positivity to the community. Fusing the sounds and rhythms of various styles, ranging from jazz and classical to funk, R&B, and rock, Garcia fuses an eclectic blend of psychedelic vibrations.

Venezuelan guitarist Luis D’Elias’s musical career began with classical training, but a summer at Berklee piqued his interest in jazz and contemporary music. Now leading his own band, D’Elias’s performances blend traditional Venezuelan influences with contemporary jazz and rock.

Pianist and composer Grant Richards has performed with a veritable who’s who of jazz artists in his short career, including Esperanza Spalding, Chuck Israels, and Dave Liebman. Active in the Boston music scene, Richards has won four awards from DownBeat magazine and the prestigious Jimmy Lyons Scholarship at Berklee, given to one student each year in recognition of the recipient’s outstanding talent.

Hailing from Maputo, Mozambique, guitarist Albino Mbie built his first instrument from scrap wood with electrical cord and a five-liter can of oil. Mbie played in local bands and studied at the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique. At the Universidade, Mbie auditioned for Berklee and became one of the first students to receive a full scholarship through the African Scholars program in 2009. Today, Mbie’s music combines disparate musical experiences into a whole, melding rhythmic patterns and music concepts to create a unique “Moz-jazz” sound.

Liz Lupton is a publicist in the Office of Media Relations. You may contact her at llupton@berklee.edu.